The Fairly OddParents is an animated television series created by Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon Animation Studios for Nickelodeon. The pilot episodes appeared as shorts in Oh Yeah! Cartoons and was later greenlit by Nickelodeon. It first aired in 2001 making one of the longest-running shows on Nickelodeon.
However, in February 2018, Hartman announced his departure from Nickelodeon and the last season of The Fairly OddParents aired on February 26, 2017. His last work on the network was Bunsen is a Beast!
The plot focuses on a neglected child named Timmy Turner who is ignored by his oblivious parents and is constantly tortured by his evil babysitter, Vicky. Fortunately, he is granted parents but is magical faeries: Wanda the caring one and Cosmo who doesn't think most of the time when he makes wishes.
The Fairly OddParents! was immediately popular around its first year, greatly increasing its lead-in rating from Invader Zim. In fact, no matter what time slot Nickelodeon placed the show in, Nick's ratings soared. The series attracted a wider than anticipated audience, appealing to all ages, a feat only matched by Spongebob Squarepants[citation needed]. Other than SpongeBob, it was later Nickelodeon's highest rated show. Early 2002 and 2003 was the first peak of popularity for The Fairly OddParents!. Ratings sky-rocketed, and it briefly passed SpongeBob SquarePants. The show saw its quick rise to the top in Australia and United States in summer of 2002 and 2003 when the show's first TV special, Abra-Catastrophe!, was aired. The film was a success and many products were merchandised.
After Abra-Catastrophe!, creator Butch Hartman created a new project for Nickelodeon called Danny Phantom. A second Fairly OddParents! TV special was made, titled Channel Chasers. Since then, there have been other specials, like The Secret Origin of Denzel Crocker, Crash Nebula, School's Out: The Musical, Fairy Idol, the "Jimmy-Timmy" crossovers, the series aired on Sprout from 2005-2006, it was removed due to the channel wanting to focus more on preschool programming. The Show Returned to Nickelodeon in 2006. In 2008 more new specials were made which were Fairly OddBaby, Wishology, Anti-Poof, and most importantly A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!